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Buck Stane, Braid Road, Edinburgh. |
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Description
The Buck Stane stands at just over 1.00m high by 0.38m at its
widest and is 0.28m thick. It stands against a garden wall in a
small alcove beside two garages near the north end of Braid
Road. The stone has no distinctive features and an information
plaque can be seen on the wall.
Directions
Braid Road is situated towards the south side of Edinburgh. Leave
the Edinburgh by-pass at the Lothianburn Junction and follow the
road through the traffic lights at Fairmilehead. At the next
traffic lights/pedestrian crossing, turn right onto Braid Road.
The Buck Stone can be seen in a small alcove on the right. The use
of a street map is highly recommended.
Parking
There is no charge for parking along most of the streets in the
area.
Folklore
Tradition associates the Buck Stane with the Barony of
Penicuik and the royal hunts on the Boroughmuir. A nearby
plaque states that the stone marks the spot where the
buckhounds were unleashed when the King of Scotland hunted
in the region. In certain light conditions the stone does
have a phallic appearance. It has also been suggested that
astronomical alignments may exist with the Pentland Hills to
the south west.
Fieldnotes
I think there's more to the Buck Stone than meets the eye. There
is certainly a suggestion of phallic origins about the upper
"head" of the stone and it may have been worked in the
past as part of the "christianising" process that
befell many such fertility symbols. Or perhaps its just a trick
of the light?
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